Coherer.



PATENTED Nov. 15, 1904.

jaygmw ZWZ/q W. W. MASSIF..

GOHERER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 4, 1901.

vUNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFTCE.

COHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,113, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed March 4, 1904. lSerial No. 196,588. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it 711/601/ cm1/067%:

Be it known that I, WALTER W. MAssIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented' new and useful Improvements in Coherers, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in coherers for wireless telegraphy, and has for its object to facilitate cohering and increase the sensitiveness of the coherer.

Heretofore in coherers utilizing a magnetized steel needle connected with one terminal the needle has been embedded in the filings (usually iron and silver) and the other terminal is arranged under the filings. In such arrangements the oscillatorycurrent is required to cohere the whole mass of' filings and also to overcome the weight or force of gravity on the filings to' form a conducting link or bridge in the filings from the needle to the tin-foil terminal arranged beneath the filings. Furthermore,thetappingdeviceis required to do considerable work to decohere the filings. The arrangement referred to tends to and in practice actually does decrease the sensitiveness of the coherer.

To attain the object of my invention-that is to say, to facilitate cohering and increase the sensitiveness of the coherer-I have provided a coherer in which the magnetized needle is combined with means by which it is supported with its end out of or free of' the nonmagnetic filings, as distinguished from being entered into the mass of filings, and, furthermore, whereby the needle may be adjusted to meet particular necessities to various degrees of nearness to the mass of filings.

The invention embodies other improvements which will be hereinafter set forth.

My improved coherer may be utilized in existing systems ofl wireless telegraphy and in connection with existing or any suitable type of tapping means. My invention relates to the coherer andV does not concern the tapping device or system generally, and as such d evices and systems are well known they are not herein described or illustrated, not being essential to an understanding of my invention.

My invention is illustrated in its best known embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section; and Fig. 2, an enlarged or exaggerated detail.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l Vdesignates a metallic bridge constituting one terminal of the coherer and supporting a metallic cup 2, which serves as a conductor and contains a mass of non-magnetic-say silver filings 3 within an insulating-tube 4, preferably of glass.

The numeral 5 designates the magnetized needle adjustably arranged in a metallic holder 6 in connection or combination with means, such as a thumb-screw 7, for maintaining it in adjusted position. In ithe eX- ample of my invention shown the needle- ,holder 6 is connected to a support 8, which support serves as a conductor to the needle. The adjustment of the needle with respect to the filings, as will be well understood, is necessarily very delicate, and to prevent the adjustment being disturbed vibration-dissipatore 9, preferably of cork, are provided to take up the vibration caused by the action of the tapping device and prevent such vibration from reaching and disturbing the adjustment of the needle.

In the drawings the reference-letter T designates a tapping device which may be of any suitable description.

The needle, as stated, is adjustable, and it is arranged with its end free of or out of the non-magnetic filings to hold in suspension the magnetic filings lO, (such as iron or nickel or nickel-iron,) so that the latter will just rest on the mass of non-magnetic filings 3 in the cup 2. The relation of the magnetized needle to the mass of non-magnetic filings and the magnetic filings suspended therefrom is clearly shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 2.

My invention is not concerned with the particular character of filings nor the proportion of metals composing the same. In practice I have found a mass of silver filings in the cup and iron filings suspended to or by the needle satisfactory. These may be varied within the scope of equivalency.

In practice the mass of filings 3 is poured into the cup 2 and then the filings 10 are placed IOC on top thereof, so that when the magnetized needle is adjusted in proper nearness to, but not embedded in, the non-magnetic filings the filings 10 are attracted and held up by the needle and just in contact with the mass of filings 3 in the cup 2. The magnetic filings l0 are thus cohered at all times, leaving nothing for the oscillatory current to do but to coliere said magnetic filings to the non-magnetic filings contained in the cup along the line a b, Fig. 2 of the drawings, which line of non-magnetic filings constitutes a surface presenting a multitude of small faces to facilitate the cohering action. It is not material what be the mass of non-magnetic filings contained in the cup. It is sufficient that a surface having numerous sharp edges and small faces to facilitate the cohering action shall be presented. It is not necessary that the current pass through the non-inagnetic filings. The many-faced surface presented by the top layer of such filings and the sides of the cup 2 are conductors. rllie mass of non-magnetic filings shown in the drawings need not be and are not cohered. All that is necessary is to cohere the magnetic filings to the many-faced surface presented by the top layer of the non-mag netic filings, as explained. T he result is great facility in the cohering action and an increase in the sensitiveness of the coherer.

The oscillatory currents according to my invention have materially less work to do than with prior cohereis.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim isl. A colierer comprising` a mass of non-magnetic filings, a magnetized needle supported with its end free 4of such mass of filings, and

' a mass of magnetic filings suspended from the needle and making contact with the non-magnetic filings.

2. A eoherer comprising a mass of filings, arranged within an insulating-tube, an adjustable, magnetized needle, means for supporting said needle in adjusted position with relation to said mass of filings, and means for dissipating vibration caused by the tapper of wireless-telegraphy systems.

3. A colierer comprising an insulating-tube containinga mass of filings, a support for a magnetized needle, a magnetized needle ad justably arranged in said support, means for maintaining' the needle in different positions of adjustment with relation to the mass of filings, and a vibration-dissipator interposed between the insulating-tube and the means for maintaining the adjusted position of the needle.

4. A colierer comprising a surface having a multitude of faces, a magnetized needle supported with its end free of such surface, and magnetic filings suspended from said needle and making contact with said surface.

5. A coherer comprising a surface having a multitude of faces, an adjustable, magnetizcd needle, and means for supporting said needle. with its end free of such surface, and magnetic filings suspended from said needle and making contact with said surface.

6. A coherer comprising a su rfaee having a multitude of faces, an adjustable magnetized needle, means for supporting said needle in adjusted position with relation to said manyfaced surface, a mass of magnetic filings suspended from said needle and making contact with said surface, an insulating tube, and means for dissipating vibration caused by the tapper of a wireless-telegrapliy system.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VALTER W. MASSIE.

fitnessesz JOHN G. Massin, .PHILIP S. CHASE, Jr. 

